Our projects reflect the diversity of organizations and approaches needed to solve complex problems

We’re especially passionate about pursuing work in the following areas:

Click a content area to see related project summaries.

Housing provides the vital foundation for people and communities to thrive. We help philanthropy develop effective strategies, from strengthening the safety net and preventing homelessness to supporting the production, preservation, and protection of affordable homes.

Although climate change affects us all, low-income families and communities of color are disproportionately impacted. We support foundations in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery and in developing initiatives to create more climate-resilient communities.

Healthy communities need accessible and affordable housing, schools, grocery stores, parks, and transit, as well as opportunities for social connection and cultural vitality. We work with intermediaries and foundations to improve social determinants of health and create greater community well-being.

Transforming educational and workforce systems is essential to increasing educational attainment and addressing income inequality. We partner with cross-sector leaders to focus on the most impacted populations, remove barriers, and align resources to improve outcomes.

At the end of the day, our focus is about changing systems to create equitable opportunities for people—no matter the issue area.

EXPLORE ALL PROJECTS →

“Cassandra has an expertise with complex cross-sector projects that blends grants and capital investments. Her support was so valuable that we not only retained her to assist with implementation of the effort, but we also asked her to serve as the interim Initiative Director for a year. Her flexible and adaptive leadership style was a great fit for our corporate culture and well received by a wide range of stakeholders."

~ Ben Hecht, President & CEO, Living Cities

Our Publications

Growing Together: Advancing Housing Solutions for Workers in West Marin

In 2023, this Housing Action Study was commissioned to better understand the existing housing conditions and unmet housing needs of agricultural workers and other lower-income households in West Marin, and the social, economic, and racial barriers to accessing reliable, quality housing.

Building Trust and Equity

The report is designed to capture the evolution, provide a retrospective analysis of The California Endowment’s work, highlight areas of impact, reflect on learnings, and set the stage for its future aspirations.

Housing Affordability: Philanthropic Solutions for Santa Barbara County

This report is intended to help develop a shared, cross-sector understanding of Santa Barbara County housing affordability challenges and offer actionable opportunities for philanthropy to join other sectors in increasing housing affordability, supply, and stability in the region.

Producing, Protecting, and Preserving Housing Affordability in Central Texas

Compared to other metropolitan areas in the country, the Austin-Round Rock metro is the 9th least affordable region with only 20 affordable and available homes for every 100 renter households — and more than half of Austin residents are renters. With housing costs outpacing wage growth, 49% of Austin’s renters are “cost-burdened,” spending more than 30% or even 50% of their income on housing. These families are disproportionately people of color, with Black and Latinx families experiencing cost burdens at higher rates than white households.

Oakland COVID-19 Relief Fund Report

Grants to serve Oakland’s most vulnerable communities and impacted neighborhoods were awarded to more than 50 community-based nonprofit organizations. Just over half of grant dollars ($2.9 million) went for direct financial assistance for Oakland residents, providing cash aid for extremely low-income community members, particularly those experiencing housing instability, populations not eligible for government assistance due to their immigration status, and people of color.